Apparatus and method for bagging articles



Sept. 26, 1961 w. H. TAYLOR APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR BAGGING ARTICLES Filed April 2. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. J w lvm a o Il IH @wif A ,A M. Q/2i z. vwl ww-- aw G5. An. w d. j r 1 a. y Af L A M d] /Z Vl Q. j 3 IIIIIIIIIHHHHUHHMHIIJJ. j l 6 j ...Ann Mi Z M l JUIIIHAIHHMHHMHHH 7, j ,A 6 g 4 o M 3 n AAR 2, A. i -mf. Uwm HM/J A A TJ sept. 26, 1961 3,001,347

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR BAGGING ARTICLES me@ April 2, 1959 W. H. TAYLOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,n ,i www@ f lllh.; N l W f p i M/ L1. I1 Yy 7 l J z 2 111.0 1 i a United States Patent C) 3,001,347 APPARATUS AND METHGD FOR BAGGING ARTICLES William H. Taylor, '7615 W. Touhy Ave., Chicago 31, lll. Filed Apr. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 803,769

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-151) The present invention relates to a novel apparatus and method for bagging a predetermined and large number of publications, such as magazines, books and the like for shipment.

In the packaging of magazines or books, it is customary to wrap and ship these publications in packages contain- `ing a predetermined and relatively large number. This is accomplished by operators collecting the publications in stacks of approximately twenty-five or more and then wrapping the counted stack in paper, after which it is securely tied by heavy cord `or wire. Anyone having viewed the operation of printing plants in preparing for shipment their issues of magazines having wide distribution and sale is Well aware of the time consumed and work and expense involved in such collecting and packaging operations.

Applicant having been connected with a large printing establishment for many years has been aware of the problem involved and has developed the present assembly to solve that problem whereby these magazines may be more eiectively and quickly packaged and with substantially less effort and in substantially less time than possible with prior methods.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel means and method of collecting and packaging large numbers of magazines preparatory to shipment.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel bagging 'machine having a hopper for receiving a stack of magazines or books and delivering this stack of a predetermined number directly to an open bag with the filled bag being deposited upon a conveying means delivering the filled bag for the tying operation.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a hopper having a pair of slides supporting the bottom of the stack, depending guides therebelow receiving, guiding and delivering the aligned stack when the slides are retracted, and a bag conformably received upon the lower end of said guides and receiving the stack passing through said guides, the stack dropping into the bag by gravity and depositing the iilled bag onto a cushioned portion of a conveyor therebelow which carries away the filled bag for the tying operation.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel hopper and guide assembly for directing a stack of magazines or books into an open sack designed to receive a stack of a predetermined number of such publications and then delivering the lled bag to a delivery conveyor. Y

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel hopper and guide assembly having means for readily adjusting the dimensions of the hopper and guides to accommodate magazines or books of diierent dimensions.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, eilciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings: i

FIGURE 1 is a view in vertical cross section through the novel bagging machine assembly, the view being taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the di-` rection of the arrows, and also showing a conveyor for 3,001,347 Patented Sept. 26, 1961 delivering the articles to be collected in the hopper and a conveyor upon which the filled bag is deposited.

FIG. 2 is a view in horizontal cross section taken on the staggered line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, with portions broken away for viewing the guides below the hopper.

FIG. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the assembly.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the hopper.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings and to the details of the illustrative embodiment therein shown, magazines, books or other articles 10 shown in dotted outline in FIG. l are collected in a hopper open at its upper end and at the front and defined by a vertically disposed back plate 1l, spaced vertically disposed side plates 12 and 13, and horizontally disposed reciprocating slides 14 and 1S at the bottom each connected to an end of a piston rod 16 actuated by an air cylinder 17 supported by brackets i8 for reciprocating these slides in spaced guides 19 into and out of retaining position. When the slides are extended as in FIG. l, they support a stack of collected articles in the hopper and when a desired number of such articles are collected, a tripping mechanism is actuated to retract these slides and permit the stack to drop, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The pair of slides 14 and l5 move in synchronism into a position providing the bottom of the hopper and, when retracted to open position, open the bottom ofthe hopper and permit the stack of articles to drop from the hopper into the space defined by four depending and spaced guides Z1 and 22. Each of these guides is an L-shaped member in cross section and are spaced apart to deiine the corners of a rectangular opening substantially conforming to the size of the stacked articles 10, but are readily adjustable to receive diierent sizes of articles stacked in the hopper.

Each of the guides 21 at one side and the guides 22 at the other side are ladjustably mounted upon the base 23 of a pair of vertically spaced substantially U-shaped brackets 24, the -base of each being provided with spaced openings 25 adapted to receive bolts or anchoring pins, with the spaced legs 26 of each bracket 24 being received in a slot defined by two spaced guide bars 27 anchored on the inner face of the front and rear plates 38 and 52 of the hopper housing sections 29, the latter having spaced inner plates 28. Each leg 26 is secured in its adjusted position in the slot by a set screw 31 bearing against a bridging plate 39.

The back plate 11 and the side` plates 12 and 13 of the hopper are also adjustable between the plates 28 to vary the internal dimensions of the hopper. For such adjustment the back plate 11 has secured to each of its opposite ends one end of a right angle member 32 of key stock with the other end of `this member slidably and conformably `received in a slot dened by two vertically spaced and horizontally positioned guides 33. A wing screw 34 threaded into a plate 35 bridging and secured to the exterior of said guides 33 is `adapted to be tighterred against the other end of the member 32, and thereby retaining its end of the back plate in adjusted position. Thus the back plate ll is movable back and forth for adjustment intermediate the adjacent end plates 2S of the housing 29.

Each side plate 12 and 13 of the hopper disposed at a right angle to the back plate 11, has one end of right angle member 36 of key stock similar to the members 32 securely attached to its rear or outer face. The other end of each mernber 36 projects through a slot in its adjacent end plate 28 and is received in a slot deiined by vertically spaced but horizontally disposed guides 37 aixed to the interior of the outer face plate 38 of the housing 29. Spanning and affixed to the exterior of each set of spaced guides 37 is a plate 39 threadedly receiving a wing screw 34 which when tightened engages the other leg of its member 35 and locks its side plate 12 or 13 in adjusted position. f

Each slide 14 and 15 is reciprocatcd across the bottom of the hopper in its guides 19 and below the lower edge of each of the side plates 12 and 13 by a reciprocating piston rod 16 one end Vof'which -is aixed t a' bracket 3Sa mounted upon the adjacent or outer end of its slide. The other end of each piston rod 16 projects into an air cylinder 17 actuated by a four-way air valve 4) mounted at the rear of the housing 29. Air supplied through the tubing 41 passes through an air line lter 42, through an air line pressure regulator 43, and through an air line lubricator d4 to the four-way air valve 40. This air valve is provided with two sets of pipes or tubing, each set having a pipe 45 leading to one end of one of the cylinders 1.7 and a second pipe 46 leading to the other end of the cylinder for pneumatically moving the slides 1.4 and in both directions of travel.

The air valve 40 is actuated by an electric coil or solenoid 47 from an electric cord 4S connected to a footoperated switch 49 conveniently located for the operator at the front of the hopper. An electric cord Si supplies current for the electric coil or solenoid 47.

The tactuating mechanism is all shown mounted on the rear plate 52 spanning the two sections of the housing 29, and this rear plate carries the complete assembly upon a vertical standard or support 53 by means of a vertically adjustable mounting bracket 54.

Assuming the back plate 1=1 and side plates 12 and 13, and the guides 21 and 22 have all been 'adjusted for receiving a stack of articles, such as magazines of a particular dimension, the novel bagging machine is now ready for operation. Then assuming that twenty-five magazines are to be bagged for shipment, individual or a small number of magazines at 55 are shown delivered to the `operator upon a belt conveyor 56. The operator then removes these magazines from the conveyor 56 and places them in the hopper until he has collected .therein twentytive magazines. Where the magazines are saddle-stitched along the back or one edge and thus not of uniform thickness throughout, it is generally necessary to reverse the position of some of the magazines of the stack in vorder that they may be uniformly and satisfactorily packaged. This the operator does in supplying the hopper with the requisite number of magazines to be packaged.

When the requisite number has been reached, the operator slips a bag 57 over the depending ends of the guides 21 and 22. This bag which conformably receives the twenty-rive magazines for packaging is then held in place and the operator trips the switch 49 with his foot, and thereby actuates the air valve 40 which operates the piston rods 16 and retracts the slides 14 and i5 which permit the counted stack 58 in the hopper to drop in aligned relation through the conning guides 21 and 22 into the bag 57 which is held directly above and in close relation to a cushioned section of an Ialigned conveyor 59. The Weight of the magazines dropping into the bag removes the lled bag from the guides onto the conveyor from where the bag of magazines is conveyed to a tying operation and made ready for shipment.

To cushion the fall of the lled bag onto the conveyor belt 59, there is mounted below the belt a metal plate 61 supported upon a relatively thick cushion of foam rubber 62. This plate 61 and cushion 62 may be mounted and retained in any suit-able manner directly below the belt and in alignment with the discharge from the guides 2i and 22.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

Apparatus for collecting and bagging a stack of articles to be shipped in bags containing a predetermined number of said articles, comprising a'hopper for receiving and conning said articles in stacked relation,spaced parallel plates forming an enclosure for said hopper, said plates including a rear plate having a vertical standard for supporting said apparatus, front plates disposed in a plane parallel to the rear plate and spaced apart leaving an opening for access to the hopper, parallel side plates extending between said front and rear plates to enclose the frame structure, said side plates being placed at the outer edges of the'front and rear plates and at the edges of the front plates dening the access opening, said inner side plates and said rear plate defining the maximum area enclosed by the hopper, said hopper comprising a rear wall and spaced side walls with an open front, brackets for adjustably mounting the rear and spaced side walls of said hopper on said spaced front and rear plates, a pair of horizontal reciprocating slides mounted below said hopper which when retracted release the stack from the hopper, pneumatic actuating means mounted in said enclosure to simultaneously advance or retract said slides, spaced vertically-projecting L-shaped guides mounted below said reciprocating slides, means on said front and rear plates for adjustably mounting each of said guides, said guides being mounted in substantial alignment with the sides, rear and front of said hopper for receiving and guiding said stack into a bag into which said guides extend, a moving conveyor disposed below and adjacent the bottom of the bag and in vertical alignment with said hopper and guides, and a cushioning means below the surface of the conveyor in alignment with said hopper and guides for cushioning the fall of the lled bag, whereby as the stack of articles is discharged from the hopper said stack passes in vertical alignment through said guides and drops by gravity into the bag and'carries along the bag with the articles onto and is carried away by the conveyor.

References Cited in the 'tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

